Fiction
2023 Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Narrated by Julia Whelan & JD Jackson
Finished on May 2, 2023
Rating: 3/5 (Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia's death and the conviction of the school's athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.
But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn't as much of an outsider at Granby as she'd thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.
I wound up with audio editions of both The Great Believers and I Have Some Questions for You, courtesy of Libro.fm. After reading several reviews for this latest novel of Rebecca Makkai's, and as one who likes to save the best for last, I decided to start with I Have Some Questions for You since many readers have mentioned that it isn't as good as her previous work. I was entertained and enjoyed the mystery, but it won't hit my "Best of 2023" list and I probably won't remember too many details with the passage of time. It's a long book (14 hours on audio), and while I never grew weary or bored with the story (as usual, Julia Whelan does a fine job with her narration), it didn't call to me at every waking moment. I certainly wouldn't categorize it as a thriller. I hope I haven't set my sights too high for Makkai's The Great Believers, which I understand it a meaty, literary work of fiction rather than a wanna-be crime novel.
I received a complimentary edition from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was about to find this book but your 3/5 rating has me rethinking it. Great cover, though.
ReplyDeleteHarvee, have you read The Great Believers? It's one that a lot of people have raved about.
DeleteI have an audio book that isn't calling to me either. I think I need to get into it more with longer listening sessions so that I get committed to the characters.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I started a new audiobook and it's not grabbing me, but I always need to listen for a couple of hours before I can determine whether to keep going. It isn't unusual for me to listen for a while and then start over again and listen from the beginning.
DeleteI ended up rating this 4 stars, but for me it didn't come close to The Great Believers.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, I'm looking forward to reading The Great Believers, but I'm going to get it in print. I just can't get into the audio. Maybe once I read a few chapters, I'll make the switch back to audio, though.
DeleteBoth of Makkai's novels are quite long. I thought the latest one could've been cut a bit but I liked it (listened to the audio) ... in ways (looking back on high school years) but it sure goes over the crime & suspects so many times! I grew a bit weary at times.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I agree that this could've been whittled down a bit. I grew weary at times, too. I'll wait a bit before trying The Great Believers.
DeleteYeah take a break. I'm not sure you will like the Great Believers. It is sad and long and there are many components ... or various timelines. but it does capture the feeling of the 1980s Aids crisis.
DeleteSusan, I recently read The Immortalists, which also captures the mood of the AIDS crisis. Thinking about that theme reminds me of South of Broad (Pat Conroy) and The Heart's Invisible Furies (John Boyne), two outstanding novels that delve into that subject matter with great finese.
DeleteI'll be curious to see what you think about Great Believers.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I started the audio, but put it aside for something else. I think I'll have to try the book in print until I get a handle on the cast of characters.
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